


Dear Mom, I'm Doing Great

by br_kenglass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, One Shot, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-24 10:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17099252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/br_kenglass/pseuds/br_kenglass
Summary: Shiro's kept a journal or two around since he was a kid. As time goes on, his collection only grows. With each new story comes a new page to write on. When he moves out for college, he promises to write back about how things are going.





	Dear Mom, I'm Doing Great

**Author's Note:**

> Made for @/domda.bomb on Instagram as a submission for Voltron Secret Santa. I hope you like it!

_Dear Mom,_

_I just moved into the dorms. It seems pretty neat, I suppose, for a dorm. Well, there's a living room area and a tiny kitchen space connected to it. Then there's this small_ _hallway that leads to separate rooms (it's two people per dorm) and the bathroom is on the other side of the unit. It's pretty basic, but it's actually bigger than I thought it would be. The rooms are bigger than I thought they'd be too. We get supplied a bed, a desk, and a dresser. That's all, which I don't mind._

_Apparently I'm gonna be sharing this place with someone named Adam? Hopefully we'll be friends. Or at least acquaintances on good terms. The year would be super stressful if I didn't get along with my roommate. I talked with Keith's mom to see if she could help me find a job around here. You guys remember Krolia, right? She and Keith used to live right next to us before she got a promotion and moved here. It's funny, in a way. After so long, I finally get to see the Kogane family again. I wonder how much Keith's grown, huh? Well, I'll keep you posted._

_The weather here in Arizona is gonna take some getting used to, but I can handle it. I do miss the scenery in Kyoto though. Everything here is pretty much just... rocks. And sand. And the occasional patch of grass. Well, where the school is, it's like that. I'm sure there's other parts of Arizona that don't look like someone sucked the moisture out of the Earth. But I miss your onigiri, Mom. No one makes it as yummy as you do!! I crave it every single day I'm away from home :( ... I also miss the kiddos, and Auntie, and Uncle, and everyone else who lived near us. I miss baby Aiko calling me Tashiro. Maybe I should write her letters too, huh? So that she can practice reading and writing and we can still keep in touch. Oh well, I'll have to bring it up another time. I still have tons of belongings to go through and sort._

_Tell Dad I miss you both so much already and that I'll do my best to do well in school!_

_Much love,_

_Takashi_

"Well, now that  _that's_ done," Shiro said, closing up his journal. He stood from his chair and looked around at all the boxes that had yet to be unpacked. "Better get started on these. Otherwise, I'll never get it done." Not that he meant for anyone to hear him, but it was a habit that never really went away even after all these years. From outside his room, Shiro heard a door open and close as well as someone shuffling into the unit. He decided to go introduce himself to whom he assumed was his roommate.

He left his room and stood in the hallway, arms crossed loosely over his chest as he observed the other male taking his shoes off at the doorway. His presence must've been obvious since the man looked up at him. "Hey, I'm Adam," the man stood up properly and nodded at him. Shiro nodded back, smiling a little. "Right back at 'ya. My name is Takashi Shirogane. Most people call me Shiro."

"Sorry if you don't do the whole... taking your shoes off at the doorway thing. I don't wanna force any lifestyle on you. Back home where I'm from, we do that, so it's like a 'me' thing."

"No, no, it's totally fine. My family does that too! I just wasn't sure if my roommate would be cool with a random pair of shoes by the door each time."

"Oh. That works out perfectly then! I'm glad the floor's clean enough to walk around without shoes on. If it were any other campus, I'd be worried about cleanliness, but the Garrison has some pretty strict rules and disciplinary actions."

Adam moved across the area, past the living room, towards the kitchen to look through the fridge. "I hope you don't mind," he said, taking out a juice pouch. "I meant to introduce myself earlier since I moved in the day before. You weren't here yet though, so I went out for a jog." The loose tank top and the basketball shorts with a fading design made more sense now. Shiro waved a hand dismissively, "It's cool." Adam offered up one of the juice pouches to Shiro, his head tilted in a silent question. He tossed it to him after receiving a shrug then a nod. "What's your major? If you don't mind me asking," Adam said.

"Neurobiology," he answered. "What about you?"

"Biomedical Engineering."

"Not bad," Shiro said, amused. "Looks like we've both got our work cut out for us. Neither of us picked easy majors." The comment earned a dry laugh from Adam. It almost sounded like he regretted his choice of classes. "As long as the coffee shop ten minutes from here stays open 24/7 I'll be fine. If ever those folks are closed, I'd end up losing my sanity." Shiro poked the straw through the plastic and sipped on his drink a bit. "You're relying on caffeine to get you through your years in college?"

"Name me one person who doesn't. Go, right now."

Shiro stared at Adam. He blinked once. Another blink. He gave up, "Fair."

"Exactly. 'Sheer work and determination' my ass. More like pressure and stress being your driving force." Adam rolled his eyes and dropped his empty juice pouch in the trash. He dusted himself off and walked towards Shiro-- or rather, past him --to get to his door. "I look forward to suffering alongside you this year, roomie," he said with a pat to Shiro's shoulder. "Same to you." Shiro finished his juice just as Adam closed the door, disappearing into his room. The raven haired male stepped over to the trash bin and tossed the empty pouch inside. He went back to his own room afterwards, determined to unpack as much as he could today.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Mom,_

_I didn't expect to have such an interesting roommate here. I thought maybe everyone would be too busy with their own lives (or they just don't want to interact much) to actually, y'know, be friends. Adam's not crazy wild or a party animal or anything. He isn't boring either. We talked a bit and I found out that he's from Rio! As in the same Rio de Janeiro that we visited for Krolia's birthday vacation. Their official language is Portuguese, but he picked up Spanish as a second language since he's half Brazilian and half Spanish. Did you know that English is actually his third language? Well, you probably didn't ~~(obviously)~~ since you don't know Adam. Anyways, being trilingual is so cool!_

_He asked where I was from so I told him about how I used to live in Kyoto with you guys and then I ended up rambling about some childhood memories and what not. So now he knows about how Keith was like my pseudo brother. Adam thinks it's pretty cool that I can speak Japanese and English. Then for some reason I started bragging about how I taught Keith to speak Japanese since all he knew was Mandarin and (of course) English. His family did used to live in Texas before they moved to Kyoto, then Keith was born, then they--_

_Sorry. I'm rambling even in a letter. I just really miss you guys, eheh... Your letter back to me nearly made me cry, Mom!! It's so unfair of you to be mailing me presents already when I barely have enough money to send you and Dad presents._

_I'm gonna meet up with Keith and his mom this weekend, so that's cool._

_You know, Adam always video chats with his family. I know because he doesn't really mind talking with them outside his room so sometimes I'll walk in on their conversation on my way to get a drink or when I'm leaving/arriving. He has siblings to help his parents with the tech and programs, so I can see how it makes it easy. NOT THAT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO IT, MOM. OKAY. I CAN SEE YOU MAKING THAT FACE._

_It's nothing, really, but I find some emotional and sentimental value in writing the letters back and forth. Even if they take a while... It's like, it gives me a reason to feel like what we have to say is important. The letters make it feel all official and stuff._

_Much love,_

_Takashi_

It had been a few months since Shiro sent his first letter. The reply had been short, but sweet. His parents mainly sent printed out pictures and an empty photo album for him to fill in on his own. Memories of his time in America and the friends he would make during then. It was enough to have his heart swelling up with all sorts of emotions.

Shiro put the photos into the album as a starter, right on the first page. He then took a marker and labelled each one. "I still can't believe they  _actually_ got Dad to dress up as a pumpkin on Halloween," he chuckled, talking to himself. Getting up from the floor, Shiro put the album on his bed. He slid it underneath his pillow to make sure no one else saw it. Not that anyone would, except _maybe_ snoopy roommate (but he didn't think Adam would bother), but it was just a precaution. Shiro opened the door and strode into the living room.

There, he saw Adam at the counter sitting on a bar stool with one earbud in and the other hanging loosely over the collar of his shirt. He was speaking rapid Spanish, and then switching to Portuguese, and then back to Spanish. It continued that way for a while as Adam smiled at the screen, all his attention focused on the Skype call. Being fluent in more than one language tended to be that way; switching back and forth between both languages. It had been one of the things they conversed about. Adam ranted about the struggle of forgetting what a word was in one language and having to think of the translation of it to the other language. Shiro threw in the extra struggle of forgetting what the word was in  _both_ languages and being forced to suffer.

Adam's eyes darted up to the new figure in the room and his smile was then directed to Shiro. "Hey! Sorry if I was being loud, I haven't seen my family in a week." With both of them studying abroad, neither really minded when the other had moments of homesickness. The only difference was that one had a much quieter way of keeping contact with his family. Shiro understood how it felt, though, so there were no complaints on his end. "Honestly, Adam, I really don't mind. It's not some weird time at night anyways," he said. He made his way to the couch and looked through the pile of mail on the coffee table. " _Somos compañeros de cuarto. Es un buen chico, Tulio. Su nombre es Shiro._ "

Shiro glanced his way, a mildly confused look on his face. Adam must've caught on because he leaned out of the view of his laptop's camera and covered the mic. "My sister was wondering who I was talking to," he explained.

"Ah, got it. Not to pry, but you seem to speak more Spanish than Portuguese."

"Mom's side of the family this time. My dad's side is off on some bonding trip or whatever. Since my siblings live with my mom, I don't talk with my dad as much."

"You've got two sisters, right?" Shiro looked through the envelopes and fliers along with the few magazines from different company subscriptions. He sorted them into two stacks and spun on his heel, stepping towards the counter. He placed Adam's stack of mail by the laptop just as Adam handed him a cup of coffee. "Correct, Vance and Melana. And you're the only one, if I remember correctly." Shiro muttered a soft 'thanks' and sipped his coffee, "Yup."

He put the cup down and opened the first of his mail. "Though, I kind of consider Keith like a brother of sorts. I've mentioned him to you before, I think." Shiro tore the paper messily, the edges showing wavy ups and downs. Adam never understood why he didn't just use a letter opener or scissors. "If he's the kid you told me about that got a tree to fall through a window and cancel classes for the day in elementary, then yes. You have. The guy's a legend in my books."

Shiro let out a strangled whine mixed with a groan. "Legendary until you face the reality of the consequences."

"Okay,  _never_ make that noise again," Adam commented.

"No promises. It's how I relieve stress caused by Keith."

"Is it like a situation-specific noise? As in  _only_ for Keith-related incidents?"

"More or less."

"Ah."

 

* * *

 

_Dear Mom,_

_So glad to hear that you and Dad got to use those cruise tickets I mailed! Even happier to hear that you used it for your anniversary. I can only imagine how sweet it must've been to have time to yourselves._

_Speaking of which..._

_Mom, and Dad too (if he reads these), I know you're both always super supportive of me and who I am/want to be. I am absolutely grateful for that, I really am, which is why I want you to be the first to know that (after months of excruciatingly painful pining) I have finally decided to ask Adam out on a date and we've been going strong. Four months now. Sorry I waited so long to tell you!! I... I guess what really drove me to ask him is the fact that... I wanna be happy, y'know? I think everyone deserves to be happy. Even if it scares you to make that kind of impactful decision. He makes me happy, and I want that. I want him. I'm pretty sure it's obvious what my feelings were in one of the last letters I sent (or more than just the last one) since I gushed about him so much. I'm still suffering the embarrassment when I remember what I wrote._

_Keith actually took pictures of the letter (he always finds them when he comes over. he's too good at this.) and won't stop harassing me for it. Every time I drop by their house, I get a ton of 'Hey, Shiro. How's the brightest nebula in a universe of never-ending darkness doing? Still got those awful glasses with a broken frame that distract you from the way his eyes brilliantly sparkle whenever he talks about something he's passionate about?' IT'S SO IRRITATING BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!_

_God-- Sometimes I think Keith just wants to get back at me for showing you both his baby pictures. At least those weren't sappy and cheesy! Those were adorable and sweet!_

_On the brighter side of things, Adam's really really really good at romance. Me? Awful. Him? Please marry me right now because I'd rather make an impulsive decision over keeping my heart waiting for who knows how long. He took me kayaking and we took selfies with the otters, Mom._

_Mom._

_ Mom.  
_

_Look-- I know dating your roommate isn't the BEST idea, but I-- I love him. I love him SO MUCH, Mom. And I hope you guys learn to love him too. I think you will. I hope you will._ _... I really hope you will. He and I get along so well and he's really funny and charming and talented and smart and kind and-- okay I'm running out of ink for this._

_I love you, I miss you, I'll see you soon for the holidays!_

_Much love,_

_Takashi_

Putting the pen down, Shiro folded up the paper and sealed it away in an envelope. He labelled the letter with a name and an address. Then he stuck on a lovely custom design stamp right at the corner. He tossed it back onto his desk and got up from his chair. "There," he sighed exasperatedly. "Now I can't make myself sound any more idiotic in that letter. I'll simply sit here and worry," he said to himself.

Adam chuckled from where he stood in the doorway. "That's not the healthiest way to deal with stress."

"FOR THE LOVE OF--" Shiro fell off his chair in a panic, scrambling backwards to his bed. He heaved deep breaths with a hand on his chest, the other grasping at his sheets. "Don't  _do_ that to me! I can feel my heart jumping around and banging against my rib cage!" His boyfriend broke down wheezing. Adam had to hold onto the frames for support, leaning against them as he doubled over. "You should've seen the look on your face! It was  _hilarious_ ," he said in between laughs. "I can't believe you actually ran away to your bed. That was honestly not what I expected when I imagined how you'd react."

"Very funny, Adam." Shiro rolled his eyes and slowly stood up from his spot on the floor.

"From my perspective? It sure as hell was."

"Go stick your hand in a toaster."

Shiro fixed the chair he had knocked over, along with a few books. He placed them on his desk just as Adam plopped himself onto his chair. "Aww, baby, don't sulk about it. Everyone gets scared. Except me, because I'm totally badass." At that, Shiro snorted and raised his eyebrow in a silent challenge. "Oh  _really_ now? Because I happen to remember a certain tan, brown haired, glasses-wearing scaredy cat clinging to me for dear life during our date at the haunted mansion on Halloween. The exact same haunted mansion that my 13-year-old kind-of-brother walked through  _on his own_ without even flinching or making a noise."

"He's literally like an unstoppable force, Takashi. Remember physics class? Any physics class you've ever taken? Yeah, 'unstoppable forces' are just what 'Keith' translates to in science lingo."

"He was five feet tall. That's 152 centimeters. Your physics theory on Keith being an unstoppable force is invalid and irrelevant to this topic of conversation."

"Wow, okay, just gonna go and assume you've won because you're using big-boy words on me? What are you, six?"

"Considering that my birthday falls on February 29th which only exists every four years according to the calendar? Let's see, I'm 26 right now so if we do the math... yes. Approximately."

Adam groaned and shoved him away, or attempted to, with his foot right on Shiro's stomach. His head fell back to rest on the top of the chair in mock agony. "I can't believe I work so hard to support us both and this is the thanks I get," he sighed dramatically. Shiro lightly kicked at the leg Adam planted on the ground. "Don't make it sound weirder than it actually is."

He merely groaned louder to drown out Shiro's words in an act of rebellion.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Mom,_

_Now that Adam and I have been dating for... quite a while now, we've decided to take another big step in our lives. As you know, we've already moved in together and we're about halfway through college now. It just makes things more convenient for us in the sense that we don't have to share a building with other people. Plus, Keith and Krolia can visit and stay over now! So whenever Krolia needs to make sure Keith doesn't get into trouble, she just leaves him with us._

_I know now just how much you love Adam too, and it makes me glad. It leaves a really warm feeling in my chest... it makes me feel whole, and proud, and valid. Or, it makes me feel like Adam is valid, and he's my everything so-- y'know-- Him being valid to you (two of the most important people in my life) is a huge achievement._

_To get to the main point of this letter... It's a pretty happy point, actually. Adam proposed to me in such a romantic way, Mom. It still has me flustered and smiling this goofy love-struck kind of smile. We'll be married in a year and I wanted to give you and Dad a more personal invitation. I wanted to visit Kyoto and tell you guys then, but we're flying to Rio this year instead. Looks like Adam and I had the same idea of delivering the messages in person, hahaha. We haven't told anyone else yet. We wanted to wait until our families knew. I'll be sure to tell the Kogane family next, I know they're really fond of Adam too._

_There's... really not much left I have to say, for now. Or rather-- uh --not much that I can come up with. Normally there'd be something for me to talk about, but our lives have been pretty plain. Not boring! Just-- Well, just extremely domestic and slow in a calming way. In a way I can cherish each moment I spend with him, y'know? I'll try and find more things to talk about in my next letter home. Goodbye for now, Mom._

_Much love,_

_Takashi_

_P.S._

_You better not cry at the wedding. Because if you cry, I'll cry, and then everyone else will cry. And I really really can't afford that many tissues for everyone._

_I'm just being weird and nervous about it, sorry. I don't know. I'm just happy-- extremely. Extremely happy. Okay, for real now, goodbye! Love you lots, Mom!_

Shiro looked up from his journal when a voice echoed through the building. It came from the speakers near the ceiling. They were calling in people for Gate 27, he and Adam were assigned to board there. Looking to his left, he saw Adam was still reading the book Keith gave him on his birthday. A fantasy novel about space explorers who get sucked into an intergalactic war with aliens they never knew existed. Keith had a strange interest, but it seemed to click with Adam.

"Babe," he called out softly. "Earth to Adam, Gate 27 is boarding now."

His partner's head jerked up in slight shock, focus being broken. "Huh? What? Oh-- Yeah, yeah, let's go." Adam quickly put the book away and grabbed his backpack and duffel bag. "Sorry. That novel's better than I thought it would be the day Keith gave it to me." Shiro grinned, putting on his own backpack. He unplugged his phone from the wall socket and tucked the charger away into his bag. Then he stood up with Adam and together they walked to the line. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you like the book. When Keith was younger, I remember he  _begged_ his mom for it until she gave in and bought it for him. I remember he'd wake me up in the middle of the night, throwing pebbles at my window, just to tell me how a chapter ended or what happened to his favorite characters."

"Really? He liked it that much?"

Shiro nodded.

Adam looked down to his phone where the lock screen was of him and Shiro at the theaters for their anniversary date. When he put in the passcode, the background revealed itself to be a selfie with his sisters and nieces and nephews. Looking at it then, he could picture each and every single one of them being so engrossed by the book just as he was, soaking in every detail to the story. He pictured what Keith must've been like back then. Loving the story and its characters to the point where he'd make Shiro lose sleep just to talk about it. Adam felt a fond expression take over his face as he stared at the wallpaper. "Maybe I'll give some of them a copy. Or at least let them borrow it," he said. "I mean, Keith read it and look where it got him. Chasing his dreams to be a fighter pilot just like Red is in the book. Perhaps it'd inspire them to follow their dreams and be just as passionate too."

"Maybe," Shiro agreed. They boarded the plane and put their bags in the carriers, backpacks between their legs when they sat in the chairs. "If they ever get fussy about it being a thick book, tell them 'Patience yields focus'. It's what got Keith to sit still long enough and actually give it a try."

"It's also what got you to keep from tearing into that awful driver who suddenly merged into our lane yesterday."

"Oh, no, that was just sheer willpower."

 

* * *

 

**Dear Takashi,**

**The wedding was wonderful and so was the reception. My favorite part of the night was getting to see my handsome boy, all grown up, making memories and having the time of his life. I am speechless when it comes to how full my heart feels to know that you found your own joy in life. Both you and Keith have come so far... have changed so much from the little kids I knew... into these dashing young men living life to the fullest. I'm leaving this letter in your room because it's the last time I'll be able to write to you for a while. You see, your father and I have decided to travel with Krolia for a year or two. She says it gets boring and lonesome now that Keith can't accompany her as often. We couldn't pass up a chance to reconnect with an old friend that we haven't seen in so long. Meeting up with her at your wedding was enough to make me cry a third time. First was seeing you, then seeing you get married, then seeing her and her son.**

**Just know this, my son; Life moves on no matter what. Being married is a big thing. People fight, people say things they don't mean, people disagree. No one's life is perfect and no relationship goes smoothly for the entire time, sweetheart. Take care of Adam. And let him take care of you. I know you tend to take on as much as you can to help others up until you become the one that needs help. It's no longer 'Takashi Shirogane against the world'. It's you and Adam, and everyone in your life. Your dad and I are very, very proud of you.**

**You have done so much to show us that you are indeed the best that you can be. Even through all the challenges that came your way, you pushed through it. And you did so with a confidence that I'd like to believe was something that didn't used to be there. I like to believe that the confidence you now have is from experience. From failure, and multiple tries. From mistakes. From learning.**

**Continue to be great, love. There is so much out there worth the risk. You've already found Adam, just imagine what you two could find together.**

**Until next time Star Chaser,**

**Mom**

 

* * *

 

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm doing great!_

_I read your letter and I honestly cried. Pretty hard. Adam ended up reading it too because I was way too choked up to explain. Honestly, I feel so thankful for everything you and Dad have done for me. If it weren't for both of you helping with tuition, I never would've been able to stay at Galaxy Garrison. Which means I probably never would've met Adam-- or at least I never would've stayed long enough to fall in love with him. He's pretty much the home I can come back to after a tiring day at work. Or the last thing I see when I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. He's my reason to get up and do things throughout the day; my motivation._

_No one except maybe Keith and/or Krolia knew you called me Star Chaser. And now Adam does._

_And now he won't stop teasing me about it._

_Mom, I hope you're happy, because he decorated our Christmas postcard for you with huge letter stickers covered in glitter. They spell out 'From Adam and Star Chaser'. He also found the photo album that you and Dad gifted me. It's full of pictures now, by the way. I even had to buy another album! Some of the pictures, he knew I took. Others were... a bit of a surprise for him._

_I can't wait to make even more memories with him and his family. And our family. And the friends the two of us have made. There's so many more people in my life now and I love each and every single one of them. Back before I fell in love, I knew it was possible to care for tons of people all at once. Yet I never expected my heart could feel so big in my chest. Never thought it'd warm up and leave me a fuzzy feeling in my gut when Adam's nieces want to ride on my shoulders at amusement parks. Or how I could smile so widely when Aiko made, like, twelve friendship bracelets for Adam. I even felt like tackling him and Keith down into the snow when they finished their spontaneous snowball fight!! I seriously thought they wouldn't get along when they first met... And now here we are, with Keith mailing Adam a new book every other week with sticky notes tucked into the pages that have his thoughts written out on them. And Adam mails him books too, some are even in Spanish! So Keith started mailing him some in Japanese or Mandarin. They're teaching each other a new language and I'm so-- so happy? Proud? Delighted?_

_All of it._

_When I first left home, I was scared that things wouldn't go well. I was scared that everything would go wrong and that there would be hell to pay for it. Risks were always something I'd be willing to take when I was young and careless, I admit it. And when I had to make choices on my own, thinking about how it would affect... pretty much everything I had? I matured. Keith's on his way there, I can see it. He's gotten himself sucked into a pretty interesting friend circle too, hahaha. Let's hope they can lead each other on the right path, right, Mom?_

_I have to go now, Adam and I are making a pretty big decision again. We'll show you what it is in the next holiday postcard._

_Still Chasing Stars,_

_Takashi_

The doorbell rang and Shiro got up from his spot on the couch to open it. Adam was waiting on the other side, a confident air about him. "Ready to go get our little girl?" He had just come from work, designing new prosthetic limbs that were more advanced than previous models. The latest prototype was being used on Shiro as an immediate reaction to the car accident he unfortunately got into a few months back. With his writing hand out for a while, Adam was the one to write the letter home.

"Hell yeah I am," Shiro laughed. "Our lives are about to get a little more exciting."

"Are you calling me boring?"

"Not in most cases, just when you take forever to make a move during Uno. It's not that hard, babe. Pick a card that matches either the number or color of the one I placed."

"Get your ass in the car already." Adam rolled his eyes, trying to hide his smile. Little did Shiro know that he only took an eternity to pick a card because he loved seeing the cute frustration painting itself across Shiro's features. Adam watched his husband hurry to the minivan-- yes, minivan --and open the passenger's door, slipping into the seat. He was the one who pushed for buying a minivan despite Adam's clear love for faster, cooler looking cars. It was even more irritating when he found out the minivan was originally Krolia's. She and Keith had fixed it up quite a bit after Keith's dog made a mess of it, forcing them to get a car more suitable for Kosmo.

Adam closed and locked the front door, soon heading to the driver's side and sitting down in the seat. He glanced to his right and saw Shiro's leg bouncing up and down rapidly. "Calm down, querido. Our kiddo's not going anywhere." He reached out and put a hand on his husband's knee to ease his nerves. But Adam wouldn't deny that he was pretty excited too. "You know, I still have no idea if you're talking to me in Spanish or Portuguese. Sorry. It's been a while, but I still can't tell."

"Keith would know," Adam teased.

"Well of course  _he_ would know, you teach him!" Shiro huffed and leaned into the car door, mildly annoyed. "Just drive. I wanna see her already. I'm more nervous about this than I've ever been about anything in my life. She was so precious when we visited the orphanage the first few times." He smiled as he looked out the window. Shiro unconsciously reached over and held Adam's hand. Or rather, placed his hand over it, since Adam's hand was on the car's shifter.

"I love you."

Shiro, startled, snapped his head around to stare at Adam. "Well-- I love you too, but that was random." Adam grinned and moved his gaze to face the back windshield as he backed out of the driveway. "I know." He drove down the residential pathway out to the open road and merged into the lanes smoothly.

With nothing to keep his mind off his worries, Shiro tried to use conversation as a distraction. "I know her name is Lianne, but I wanna come up with a nickname for her. A meaningful one. Something that will let her know she's special to us." He barely got a glimpse of Adam's growing smile from the corner of his eye. It was quiet, but it was there.

"How about Star Chaser?"

 


End file.
